Please don't think I am looking for a sympathy vote here. I'm not. I consider myself lucky to have a job at all, let alone one I actually like in these troubled times.
Diplome,
See the above. I neither need nor want your sympathy. You asked a question. I tried to explain. I could have added in the many other bits and pieces that all add up but I'd have been here forever and I sense it would have made little difference anyway. As for the special terms and conditions, I can't talk for the LHR crew as I don't know but at LGW? You must be joking! However, as you'll no doubt point out, I knew the T&C's and signed happily at the beginning but if you check back to my original post, you will see that it's not about money or the T&C's as such, or holidays and lonliness for that matter! I apologise if my explanation doesn't fit your personal requirements but there isn't a lot I can do about that.
Originally Posted by Diplome
When will Cabin Crew start getting as angry with BASSA, who created their present situation, as they seem to be with BA.
See below and I'm pretty sure Betty girl has said much the same in the past.
Originally Posted by jetset lady
Saying all of that, even knowing what I know now and feeling as I do now, I still wouldn't have gone out on strike. The reasons behind it were fundamentally flawed and my opinion on that and the antics of BASSA haven't changed in any way.
Would you like us to keep repeating it? Maybe it could be our "signatures".
Carnage Matey,
Again, I can't comment on much of your post as it seems to revolve around agreements I know nothing about. However, there is one point I'd like to raise.
I have countless examples of Club Europe pax being downgraded because there were too many of them for the matrix
This is something that also happens occasionally at LGW. And these passengers are last minute bookings. The reason the matrix is there is because these are the numbers we can realistically manage to offer the Club Service to in the time frame of the flight. Even then, they are sometimes pushing it. Take a flight I operated a while back. BOD. 1 hr 20 flight time. For some reason, a band 3. So full hot meal, with a choice of hots, plus a bar round, plus sales. 3 crew. 21 passengers in Club, (just within the Matrix) 113 down the back. Thankfully, the flight crew were aware that time would be tight and not only said they would sort themselves out apart from the safety checks but that they would slow down if neccessary. With all the will in the world, there was no way I could give the passengers the service they had paid for. I did get it completed but not in the way it should have been done, in my opinion. In this instance, if the flight had been realistically banded, it would have been a much better and more appropriate service but that's not the point I am trying to make.
So what would you rather? Take their money, pack 'em all in and to hell with the consequences or tell the last minute bookings that sorry, we have no Club seats and/or meals available but we can offer you a club seat on a later flight or an economy seat on this one? Blimey! Here's a thought. Maybe we could even change the config if we only have club seats left but not enough food/crew for those last minute passengers? Seems we can change the passenger figures easily enough!
Actually, this is a passenger thread so maybe you are the best people to ask. What would you prefer? To be told the truth and be offered a seat in economy or to pay your money for Club and experience a rushed service, possibly with no food or something we have managed to scrape together in the galley? If you'd rather the latter, then I take it all back.